Dress Your Family in Corduroy and Denim by David Sedaris | Teen Ink

Dress Your Family in Corduroy and Denim by David Sedaris

December 4, 2009
By cheekack BRONZE, Singapore City, Other
cheekack BRONZE, Singapore City, Other
3 articles 0 photos 1 comment

"Dress Your Family in Corduroy and Denim" is a collection of 22 auto-biographical essays by American humorist, David Sedaris.

The following is a list of essays in the book, with brief notes about their contents:

1. "Us and Them" - childhood memories of Sedaris's neighbour, a family who doesn't believe in TV and the effect it has on their children
2. "Let It Snow" - a day when Sedaris's mother locked her children out in the snow
3. "The Ship Shape" - childhood memories of the empty promises Sedaris's father makes
4. "Full House" - a childhood game of strip poker gives the young Sedaris a touching moment
5. "Consider the Stars" - reflecting on the cool kid at school
6. "Monie Changes Everything" - Sedaris' rich aunt
7. "The Change in Me" - the 13-year old Sedaris wants to be a hippie
8. "Hejira" - Sedaris's father kicks him out of the house due to his homosexuality
9. "Slumus Lordicus" - Sedaris's father's experiences as a landlord
10. "The Girl Next Door" - Sedaris's relationship with a girl from a troubled family
11. "Blood Work" - a case of mistaken identity while cleaning houses
12. "The End of the Affair" - Sedaris and his boyfriend, Hugh's different reactions to a love movie
13. "Repeat After Me" - Sedaris' vist to his sister Lisa, and his family's feelings about being the subject of his essays
14. "Six to Eight Black Men" - thoughts about the traditional Dutch Christmas story, among other cultural oddities
15. "Rooseter at the Hitchin' Post" - Sedaris' younger brother is born and gets married
16. "Possession" - searching for a new apartment, and his shortlived infatuation with Anne Frank's house
17. "Put a Lid on It" - a vist to Sedaris' sister, Tiffany's, home and their relationship
18. "A Can of Worms" - Sedaris' mind wanders as he, Hugh and a friend eat at a diner
19. "Chicken in the Henhouse" - prejudiced attitudes towards homosexuals in America
20. "Who's the Chef?" - bickering between two people in a long-term relationship
21. "Baby Einstein" - the arrival of his brother's first baby
22. "Nuit of the Living Dead" - a late night encounter at home in rural France

***
Sedaris's genial and relaxed tone of writing renders himself as a reliable narrator. He writes with subtle humor and a brutal honesty. Unafraid to be self-deprecating toward onself, Sedaris makes himself a subject of pity, laughter and sadness.

As a result, you might find yourself sympathising, laughing with or even reeling at Sedaris and his eccentric and quintessentially quirky family members. I recommend this book to anyone who needs to learn to sit back, relax and laugh at the odd world we live in today


Similar Articles

JOIN THE DISCUSSION

This article has 0 comments.